Aluminium dropout damaged. Anything I can do?

[raymondo60]

Greetings all - hope everyone is well.

So I bought a lovely looking early Giant OCR which arrived today. However.... its had a bash in transit and the left-side dropout has closed up. I can't get get the front wheel on at all. See pic.
Is it repairable? Anything to be done? I've already had two conflicting pieces of advice. I'm sure there are plenty out there who have had experience of this or similar. Care to share your wisdom please?
I could just send it back, but its a pretty thing and I was planning on modernising the running gear and wheels, make it more usable. I'd like to repair it if possible, but it has to be 100% safe of course.
Thanks in advance for any consideration.

 

[bikingdad90]

Front or back drop out? That looks like the rear drop out with the profile but you say front in the message?

 

[C R]

Greetings all - hope everyone is well.

So I bought a lovely looking early Giant OCR which arrived today. However.... its had a bash in transit and the left-side dropout has closed up. I can't get get the front wheel on at all. See pic.
Is it repairable? Anything to be done? I've already had two conflicting pieces of advice. I'm sure there are plenty out there who have had experience of this or similar. Care to share your wisdom please?
I could just send it back, but its a pretty thing and I was planning on modernising the running gear and wheels, make it more usable. I'd like to repair it if possible, but it has to be 100% safe of course.
Thanks in advance for any consideration.

Was the bike new from a dealer? If so send back. Aluminium doesn't like being bent back.

 

[Cycleops]

Looks well used to me.
I would slowly open it out . It doesn't need to come far, should be fine.
If be worried that the leg might have had some knock on damage so check for that, presuming it is front. Is it a carbon fork?
If it's the rear check the triangle to see if it's still true.

 

[raymondo60]

It's the front dropout folks. Aluminium all through.

 

[midlife]

Most aluminium alloys work hardens and liable to stress cracking, not sure I'd like to bend that back being a pretty critical area

 

[RoubaixCube]

If you dont want to risk it -- It might be worth speaking to a car or motorcycle body repair shop to see if they'll do it for a few quid. you could try gently brute forcing it back with a chock of wood cut to size and rubber mallet but failing that you might need to heat the metal to get things back in shape. Aluminium will warp if it gets too hot - hence my suggestion of visiting a body repair shop to see if they could do it or at least give some advice on how to do it.

If anyone would know how - it would be them.

 

[Spiderweb]

Unfortunately I’d be inclined to send it back. If you zoom in to the photo there already looks to be a small crack in the aluminium.

 

[Cycleops]

Well spotted @Spiderweb

 

[Smokin Joe]

I can't see a normal type of mishandling accident causing that. For it to close up and also crack it must have had a heavy duty wallop.

 

[Cerdic]

The crack could be welded. However, aluminium is quite a specialist welding job probably not best given to your local grease monkey with a MIG…!

 

[si_c]

Unfortunately that's damaged in transit and with that very clear crack in the dropout the fork is toast.

You have two choices, contact the vendor and advise them it's damaged in transit and no good and return it for a full refund, or negotiate replacing the fork but keep the bike.

Edit to add: I'd probably do the latter, replace the forks with modern carbon ones - you don't mention the model year of bike, is it a quill stem? Or is it a threadless headset with a 1 1/8" steerer, if the latter that makes it a much easier replacement process, you don't really want to be finding a replacement threaded fork, and 1" threadless steerer tubes are sadly a thing and difficult to locate replacements.

 

[cougie uk]

I think if you unscrew the qr skewer and slide the axle through and then tighten up you could get that to work.

But a new fork would be safer.

 

[raymondo60]

Thanks all so far. Good spot spiderweb re that crack. I'd like to keep the bike but not sure right now. Think I'll sleep on it. Its a modern stem fork set-up so a carbon fork with alloy steerer upgrade could work, but that detracts from the reasons I bought it, which was that's its entirely original. Ho hum. See how I feel tomorrow.
Good advice though people. Knew I could trust you lot!

 

[Ajax Bay]

@bikingdad90 - please note 'lawyer's lips
https://bicycles.stackexchange.com/...m-fork-dropout-potentially-compromised-advice
Magnet check?
If aluminium, the dropout once bent back out cannot safely be used (sorry OP).
Steel would probably be OK; (ETA) but probably wouldn't bend/distort in the first place.